Speaking to a room full of convenience retail stakeholders at the 2026 NACS Show, Ryan Sheetz didn’t mince words about the industry’s ongoing challenges.
“What’s been playing out here is a problem that’s been impacting our business easily for the last few years: customer traffic,” said Sheetz, executive vice president of marketing and supply chain for the Altoona, Pennsylvania-based retailer. “That’s something that impacts all of us, whether you’re a small operator, a medium operator or a big national guy … really dire things are at play here.”
Yet even as foot traffic and inside transactions remain under pressure across the industry, Sheetz is generating plenty of buzz in 2026.
The company, which operates more than 850 convenience stores across seven states, is expanding its small Midwest footprint while reinforcing its East Coast presence, particularly in its home state of Pennsylvania, where it competes with rival Wawa. It’s also broadening its in-store assortment to give customers more reasons to come inside.
Super regional chains like Sheetz are drawing attention for the way they connect their brands to the communities they serve, from their product offerings to their engagement with customers. That connection is helping these operators not only compete at a high level not only with national c-store chains but with QSR brands as well.
So while visitation remains a challenge, Sheetz isn’t slowing down. Here’s a look at the retailer’s major moves in 2026, from regional expansion to foodservice innovation.
Going all-in on Indiana
In April, Sheetz announced intentions to enter Indiana in 2027, investing nearly $1 billion opening 100 stores over the next 10 years. At the time, President and CEO Travis Sheetz said that the retailer had drawn “a significant number of inquiries” from residents eager to see the retailer enter the Hoosier State.
About five months later, Sheetz revealed that its first convenience store in Indiana will be located in Indianapolis’ North Central neighborhood and is expected to open to the public late next summer. Sheetz’s first Indiana site will operate in a highly competitive market, with a Thorntons gas station, Circle K, Shell, GetGo Cafe + Market and Wawa all nearby.
Sheetz’s move to Indiana underscores the industry’s growing interest in the Hoosier State as many operators from different regions of the U.S. continue to plant their flags there.
Building momentum in Michigan
Sheetz announced its expansion into Michigan in late 2022, and the convenience retailer debuted in the state in August 2024. At that time, the company outlined plans to open 50 to 60 c-stores in Michigan over the next five to six years as part of a $500 million investment.
That expansion took another step earlier this year, when Sheetz said it intended to open 14 new locations in 2026 in the Detroit metro area, where the retailer had its only four locations in the state at the time.
According to its website, Sheetz currently has 15 convenience stores in Michigan, all of which are in the far eastern side of the state near Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Strengthening its Ohio operations
On Sept, 29, Sheetz opened its new food manufacturing and distribution Center in Findlay, Ohio, which had been in the works for three years. When the retailer initially revealed plans for the distribution center, it said it would cost $145 million. That cost has now jumped to $169 million, according to a company announcement detailing the facility’s debut.
The facility officially began operating on Oct. 11 and is expected to create more than 750 jobs over the next five years, per the announcement. This is Sheetz’s third distribution and food manufacturing facility, joining existing centers in Claysburg, Pennsylvania, and Burlington, North Carolina.
The facility supports Sheetz’s fast-growing c-store network in Ohio, where it operates 143 stores, according to its website.
“As we continue our ambitious growth across the state and region, this facility will help us serve more customers, create new opportunities for our communities and bring our all-in-one convenience experience to even more people,” Travis Sheetz said in the announcement.
Pairing expansion with foodservice innovation
Even as it focuses on geographic expansion, Sheetz has launched several new food and beverage products this year that tap into budding category trends.
In August, the retailer launched Buzz Beanz, its first-ever line of ready-to-drink energy coffees to meet customer demand for strong grab-and-go caffeine options, the company said at the time. Buzz Beanz debuted in five flavors: chocolate banana, blueberry muffin, cinnamon churro, mocha and chocolate peanut butter.
That same month, Sheetz introduced a fall menu featuring $5 milkshakes in pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake and cereal chiller flavors. The lineup also included pumpkin chai, pumpkin cold foam and pumpkin Sh’pice canned iced coffee, along with snacks such as a s’mores tray, Sh’pice cookies and blueberry açaí smoothie cups.
The retailer continued its foodservice push in October by announcing the return of its Big Pig barbecue pork sandwich, which the company phased out six years earlier. The made-to-order sandwich returned to Sheetz locations nationwide Oct. 28.
The Big Pig lineup features six variations, including a Big BBQ Classic, topped with barbecue sauce, red onions and pickle chips; Big BBQ Goldie, with Carolina Gold barbecue sauce, crispy onions and pickles; and Big BBQ Onion, with crispy onions and pickles.
